Manjung: The police have received reports of an unidentified individual impersonating a teacher, allegedly using a fake quick response (QR) code to collect payments from parents for school academic programs.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Manjung district police chief ACP Hasbullah Abd Rahman stated that the Commercial Crime Investigation Division of the Manjung district police headquarters is investigating the suspect's actions.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspect used the name, photograph, and phone number of a legitimate teacher to send messages to parents via WhatsApp. These messages were reportedly used to solicit payments for school academic programs. "The suspect also sent a modified payment QR code using the school's name to convince the victims to make payments into the suspect's account," ACP Hasbullah explained in a statement.

The police believe the suspect's modus operandi is designed to exploit parents' trust in the school. The public is advised to verify with the school before making any payments, avoid trusting payment requests received via WhatsApp, and ensure that any QR code or bank account used is officially associated with the school.

ACP Hasbullah also urged individuals who may have fallen victim to such fraud to contact the National Scam Response Centre at 997, inform their bank, and promptly file a police report to aid in the investigation. He emphasized the importance of being vigilant and not easily deceived by payment requests without confirmation from relevant authorities.

For any information related to commercial crime, the public can reach out to the nearest police station or contact the Manjung IPD Operations Room at 05-688 6222 or the WhatsApp hotline at 017-682 8005.